There are no cookie cutter strategies for every person, but if you are struggling, this is a perfect place to start.

Life is seldom smooth, and most often, it is full of setbacks and challenges that face us daily. At moments, it can be overwhelming, and we can focus on all of the negative things that are happening to us. However, even in the most challenging situations, we can choose to be happy. If you are struggling with happiness, make sure that these six things are aligned to help you on your journey.

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Self-limiting beliefs. We all have a measure of self-limiting beliefs. Somewhere in life, we lose our natural tendency that we are born with to aim for gigantic goals and dreams. We settle for good enough afraid to dream of more. Self-limiting beliefs hurt our self-esteem and create a life that is inauthentic. To be happy, we must first believe that we are worthy of happiness.

Mask. Self-limiting beliefs, failures, and setbacks often lead to a life that is not who we are meant to be. We cover up our true nature with what we think is acceptable for others, hiding what we are fearful for others to know about us. This false self is the mask that we show the world. It is impossible to be truly happy when we are trying to be what others want others to be. To be happy, we must be willing to be open and honest about failures and negative self-talk to a small trusted group of individuals.

Non-presence. When we are negative and downcast, we are living a life in the past. We are mentally going over all of the times life has slammed us down. If our heads are in the clouds in the future, it has the same negative effect. We are playing all of the things in our heads that we don’t have. It is impossible to fully embrace life when we are not present. To live life full and overflowing, we must be in the moments of life that we are physically in. If we are not, we cannot fully feel and embrace even the smallest moments. To be happy, we must live life by being fully present.

Expectations. If we can’t acknowledge our expectations, happiness can allude us. Even the best moments in life can be ruined when reality is different than the expectations we have in our minds. To move past this roadblock, we need to examine our expectations and gauge whether they are realistic or not. To be happy, we must acknowledge our expectations.

Lack of stillness. A busy life can lead to an empty life. We must build in moments of solitude and stillness. In this busy go-go-go society, we must be proactive to recharge our batteries by installing moments of stillness. Make time to turn off all technology and slow the pace of your life. It is the silence between notes that creates beautiful music. The same goes for your life. It is the silence between activities that creates a symphony of a life. To live happily, you must have moments of stillness.

Lack of adventure. Adventure is the spice of life. Even people that like routine need moments of adventure and excitement. If you are struggling with happiness, when is the last time you tried something new? Trying new things and experimenting can lead to a happy, fulfilling life. We should always be challenging ourselves through new activity. Add some happiness to your life by braving a new adventure.

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There are no cookie cutter strategies for every person, but if you are struggling, this is a perfect place to start. When I began to focus on living a life full and overflowing, it was a gradual process to regain my peace and happiness. Practice makes progress and with time and focus your happiness can increase.

About Zechariah Newman

I build businesses, run marathons, and live life with my wonderful family in southern Oregon. You can see my writing in places like Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Mind Body Green, and Addicted2sucess. My goal is to help you build your business while keeping a balanced and fulfilled life. zechariahnewman.com.